


Past tense, future tense

by TheAshesOfOblivion



Category: Gravity Falls, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Cipher brothers theory, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Mysteries, Not literally, Post-Canon, Rapunzel and Hugo brothers!, The axolotl appears, They really look alike, Unjust Imprisonment, Varian is Bill's son why I feel like it, Varian is a sad little baby, Varian is bisexual, if it is her, it is not a giant lizard and she is completely in love with a Cipher
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:54:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28114977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAshesOfOblivion/pseuds/TheAshesOfOblivion
Summary: At some point of the time, a child longs to be home.  Only, in the organization of time, with cruel guards and a being who only sees her as a trophy, does she want to be in another place.Rapunzel is excited to spend the summer in a small town far from the city. Enjoy nature and the wind in her face, having more freedom than you can have at home.Hugo just wants the summer to come to an end.  Annoyed, at being dragged on a strange half vacation with his twin sister. Then he comes across a mysterious diary and a housemate who is even more mysterious.Mabel is happy to be able to return once again to the beloved town that gave her so many good memories.  In charge of caring for the twin children of one of her best friends, Mabel is shocked when she finds someone else living with them.Cassandra has seen time pass in that town, she has seen him change and overcome things.  She has dedicated her life to protecting that place from possible anomalies. Now she sees herself as the one responsible for controlling the biggest threat in town.And, in despair, deep in the dungeons of some part of the time agency, a human soul pleads for its freedom.  Crying helplessly the departure of her son.
Relationships: Bill Cipher & Dipper Pines & Ford Pines & Mabel Pines & Stan Pines, Cassandra & Rapunzel & Varian (Disney), Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines, Hugo & Rapunzel (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms), Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms), Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, another story

_Time is an illusion._

White walls, white floors that shone with an almost blinding flash. The boy sitting in front of the table turned a golden coin in his fingers, a single eye etched on it. His night-black hair with a characteristic explosive streak of bluish-green, like the tail of a comet, stuck to his forehead with beads of sweat, his pale skin blending with the whiteness of the place. He just sat there, alone, waiting, leaning back in the chair with his arms crossed and one leg on his knee. The sapphire gaze lifted as the wall in front of him lifted, two men in black and gray uniforms, serious faces and military hairdos stepped on either side of a big, huge, and annoying baby.

His pale pink lips curved into a mocking smile. "Baby time!" He exclaimed with a laugh. "And finally, can I receive my reward?"

Ignoring her question one of the men stepped forward.. "Year 207̃33͓2, Varian Cipher, only son of Bill Cipher, last Globnar winner", the man shot him a look that, if looks will kill, could be dead. "I'm right?"

"Yep", Varian popped the 'p', enjoying the way it seemed to get the others out of it. "But, hey, let's get all of that stuff, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork", he waved a hand dismissively. "May I, the only child of the great Bill Cipher, have my wish for time?"

With that question the room fell silent. The resplendent white walls seemed to flicker, the time baby, scowling, cast its fiery red gaze in fury on the boy in front of him. His plump, huge hands clenched tightly on the support he floated on, the two guards beside him fearing that he would explode on a whim, as he had done a thousand years after being 'destroyed' by Bill Cipher. The fact that the boy was his son did not help at all, they both looked more alike than anyone would like, even so, after observing him for a while, the time officials, even the same time baby, had noticed something, in sometimes the boy acted in ways that a Cipher would not. It was a disconcerting fact but, in the end a conclusion had been reached, those reactions were inherited from his mother, the poor woman who married and fathered the son of a Cipher.

The baby time, opening his fists, taking a deep breath as he relaxed the pout on his face, like any baby, spoke. His imposing, deep voice echoing through the white room.

"Make your wish of time"

Varian smirked. "Well, I like it that way, listen well it will be long", he stopped turning the coin in his fingers and squeezed it in his gloved hand. "I want to get my freedom, go to Gravity Falls", the officers frowned. "All my record will be erased, name, age, my family, background, everything", he smirked. "Last thing, I want to get my father's powers"

His words made everyone present stiffen. Baby Time's fiery red gaze, like hot metal in too high temperatures, almost managed to intimidate him. The small, but gigantic, lips of the time baby pursed in an annoyed grin. Ultimately he was going to refuse the latter but Varian, for Axolotl, Varian was never a defeatist, much less if he really wanted something. He was not the son of one of the most powerful demons in the universe just by last name, he had earned that title, with his own fist and blood. Billions of years ago his father, Bill Cipher, a great demon, had destroyed the baby time form in order to gain control of time on his Raromagedon. Varian didn't think much differently, although sometimes he really hated the emotions and thoughts inherited from his mother, maybe it would be easier if he didn't have them.

Fed up with the silence, he hit the table with his fist. "It is my right, i win that wish of time, it belongs to me legitimately"

He hated the way he sounded like a little boy throwing a tantrum and not like an annoying teenager. He dropped back into the chair, avoiding someone's gaze, squeezed the coin tighter, the pure gold dug into his hand. _It didn't hurt_. He gritted his teeth, the edge of his vision was stained red, he doesn't want to be there, he doesn't like it. That place, millions of years in the distant future from which he was born, is not his home, it never will be, his parents are gone, he is alone, not only really if you consider the fact that he has two uncles in different realities of the multiverse but they have their own lives. Varian doesn't plan on ruining that for them, so he's alone. His home, the real one, has disappeared for the second time in history, there is nothing or nobody left of that place, except him but he is trapped in the house of the baby time. Varian has had enough of that game, there is no reason other than mockery for the baby to keep the son of one of the most dangerous demons that ever existed.

He tastes good, better than anyone in that room, in that place, that time, he is only a trophy, the greatest of the trophies that baby time could obtain. At the end of the day he is nothing more than the son of a demon who failed, like the others, in his attempt to take over the world. But, for Varian, that demon was more, that cruel demon, _was his father_ and always, regardless of time or reality, he will remain his father. He doesn't plan to let him go for any reason. For a tortuous seconds Varian has the idea that he should apologize, apologize for his audacity and allow himself to be escorted back to his room, however the voice of the baby time stops him.

"Is that what you want?", The time baby asked, his voice sounding defeated, almost _disappointed_.

Varian, for his part, responds immediately, his voice full of assurance. "I wish it"

 _Needed_. But Varian doesn't say that word, he can't, not in front of those guys, he'll never admit that he misses his family. Her father, her mother, her uncles. Varian wants them back but even with the desire of time he cannot ask for that, the time baby would flatly refuse and give her a punishment for her daring. Something stupid, since, after all, he has every right in the world to see his parents one more time. With the desire for time, even if he asked his parents back, it would not affect reality or time at all, it would not create paradoxes or anomalies of time or loops or anything that would put existence itself at risk. Varian could be happy, _having his parents_ , without somehow putting the universe at risk with his selfish wish. But he cannot ask for that, he must not, he has to conform himself by at least trying to ask for a part of his father, to have something to treasure forever in the eternal solitude of his miserable existence with no purpose beyond the value of being a trophy won.

Varian really appreciates that Baby Time gave him a place to stay, food, training and that he will take care of all his needs but he cannot stay. Is not correct. With each passing day the golden coin kept in the wooden box, with her father's zodiac engraved on top, had been a reminder that he did not belong here, a reminder of her parents. The diary hidden suspiciously in the background was the last thing he had left of her mother. And Varian kept it as a treasure, it was the only thing that could make him feel that his mother was still with him, something that could make him feel loved by someone.

"Well, Varian, your wish of time will be granted"

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹ ۞↹۞↹۞

Mabel is excited. After so many years she would finally return to beautiful Gravity Falls, the small town where she spent the best summers of her life with her entire family. Well almost all of it. Mabel had stopped going after the accident, since that day she had never set foot in town again, not because she didn't want to, but because she couldn't. Her parents forbade it at first, she thought that was normal after what happened, and when she became an adult she thought many times about going back to greet everyone. _He didn't have the courage._ The very idea of returning to town, alone, made her shiver with anxiety.

This time it was different, once again she was not alone and she was ready to return. Arianna, a close friend, had asked her to take her children to a place where they could think about more things than their cell phones, Gravity Falls was ideal. The children, really teenagers, were twin brothers, it was ironic in a way; the older sister, Rapunzel, long golden hair with green eyes, the youngest, Hugo, platinum blonde hair and eyes of the same color did not seem to share the same enthusiasm between them. Rapunzel on the one hand was happy to visit a remote town while Hugo just kept quiet with annoyance. They reminded her a lot of her and her brother the first time they visited Gravity Falls.

Arianna and her husband, Frederic, had not been able to bring their children themselves as they could not leave the city. Frederic was the mayor and as such he always had work to do in the city so he couldn't just leave. Still Mabel was happy to be able to come back with someone, even if it was a pair of teenage twins. All she wanted was to return in the company of someone and not alone.

"When is it missing?", Hugo asked from the back seat as he took off his headphones

Mabel smiled. "Not long, a couple of hours"

Both women laughed at the teenager's complaint. Mabel sighed and focused on the road.

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹ ۞↹۞↹۞

Varian glanced at the girl walking in front of him. Guiding him through the forest of Gravity Falls, they had let him go to town a week before his request, technically a week before the day in the future when he made the request. In any case, the girl was a member of the time paradox anomaly surveillance squad, unlike the other members she dressed differently, more normal. Her short dark hair against her pale skin; She has a stern face, with high cheekbones and a strong jaw, and her eyes are a soft moss gray color. She is wearing black ankle boots, dark gray short shorts, a dark red shirt with the typical fluorescent green hourglass symbol.

Cassandra, that name is too long and Varian can easily do something to annoy her in the process. Maybe a nickname. Short hair? No, too empty. Sharp? Nah, kind of silly. Something else, something that can really piss her off and use her name as well: _Cassie_. That will keep the girl from trying to use her stoic tone on him again. It will bring her out of her senses in a way satisfactory to her taste. In any case, the girl, the soldier guides her through the forest to a small two-story cabin that has a giant sign that says: 'Mystery Shack'. And, Varian, despite everything, can immediately recognize it as the cabin of the Pines. Oh, that's what the time squad are playing, well, they won't have the pleasure of showing something with that.

"Listen", Cassandra stops abruptly and turns to give him a cold look. "The time agency is paying the owner of the place to keep you here, so be good and don't cause any trouble or I'll be in dire need to kick your ass back to the agency"

Varian musters all his self-control to avoid laughing. Oh, they really do! Do you really think that this girl, _this little girl_ , could pose a threat to him? Funny. A small part inside he yearns to prove them wrong, but... the time for fun and games is behind us. Also, at this point he would really be getting stuck, going back to those days in the training room of time trying to prove that he is capable of receiving stupid praise. Thinking it would be good enough to make the time baby proud...Never mind, not now, it's been no longer stuck in that time.

Varian scoffs. "You don't have to worry about anything _Cassie_ ", the girl seems to have no reaction but can notice a grimace tugging at the corner of her lips. "Unlike you, I am not an impulsive jerk"

Cassandra takes a deep breath and clenches her fists, his words clearly annoying her more than she wants to admit, Varian knows better than anyone that the girl wants to hit him. Oh fun, let him try and he'll be more than pleased to hit back with triple the force. He's never been the type to try to avoid a fight when someone starts it, and he's never had a problem with hitting a girl, he takes them equally. _Even in other things_. And you need to focus. The girl, after a couple of seconds, drops her shoulders with a heavy sigh and glares at him with a fiery gaze that can easily surpass that of baby time but Varian has never bowed to anyone, not to the soldiers, not to him baby time. Much less with that girl.

Cassandra groans. "Yeah, anyway, you're lucky the time baby has your back", she spits mockingly. "In any case, follow me inside and no magic"

Reluctantly, and out of obligation, Varian follows her into the mystery shack. It was a kind of gift shop, with normal objects and others that were not very normal. Cassandra led him to an elderly man, with wrinkled brown eyes, gray eyebrows, and gray hair almost completely covered in a maroon fez that was shaped like a yellow crescent. Average at least one meter eighty-three. It has a rather large, drooping, pear-shaped, reddish-pinkish nose, large ears, and fair skin. He wore a pair of rectangular glasses with a black rim, dressed in a black suit, with the jacket buttoned closed, a bow tie similar in color to his fez, and a white dress shirt. Also large light brown shoes, and he carries with him an eight-ball cane and wears a patch over one of his eyes.

"Stan", says Cassandra, a little more cordial than think. "This is Varian"

The man, Stan Pines, smiles brightly. "Oh the boy who fills my pockets!"

"Excuse me?", Varian asks confused before giving Cassandra a glance. "What?"

"We paid him to you stay here", Cassandra reminds him in a whisper.

Stan clears his throat."Yeah well the room is upstairs," he says. "Third door and do not enter the others"

Varian tightened his grip on the suitcase. "Yes, Mr. Pines", and if the old man tensed in the way he said his last name, he didn't care.

He went up the stairs in a hurry, lifting the suitcase as if it wouldn't weigh anything, and it wasn't for him, he went into the third door with an annoying grunt, leaving the suitcase in the corner. He didn't slam the door, that wasn't a tantrum, he closed the door softly knowing full well that slamming it would turn him into an annoying child and not an angry teenager. Deep breath. He kicked off his shoes and flopped onto the bed, a little softer than the stiff beds of the time agency, the room was more colorful instead of the typical fluorescent whites and greens he always saw in agency rooms. It was more, much more, quaint and welcoming in a way.

He would only be in that place during the summer, only the summer, he would demonstrate, not only to baby time, but to the entire agency that he was capable. To control his powers, to interact with other people, to not be the monster they thought he was, that he could be _normal_. He just had to spend the rest of the summer without using his powers when he was with others, without any incidents and acting like another teenager in his day to day, with an ordinary life. It would be easy, it should be, Varian could handle this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel and Hugo are finally at the cabin.

Mabel parked the car in front of the Mystery Shack. A dazzling smile on her face as the excitement in the pit of her stomach increased with each passing second. She took a deep breath, looking enthusiastically at the cabin where she spent the best moments of her childhood, the best summers accompanied by her beloved younger brother. She wishes she could go back to those times. She wanted to be able to change some of her decisions, the ones that only caused a couple of problems in her relationship but always ended up solving. _It was not possible_. She then she remembered, the desire of time, the globnar, how you could change something without affecting anything. The feel of the warm sphere in her hands. Something tingling in her fingers with anticipation, waiting to be used.

"Miss Mabel?" 

Rapunzel's voice managed to get her out of her thoughts.The ones that she hadn't realized she was missing. She shook her head before looking at them. One even more excited than the other, a mirage from the past hit her as she remembered herself and her brother. The similarities were undeniable; a cheerful and optimistic girl, a serious and realistic boy. Was this some kind of joke? Because was a very cruel one, fate was cruel if that was, leaving her in the care of two twins who did nothing but remind her and her brother in the past. _Fate, I must accept that you have already hit me worse_. She could handle this, but of course she could, this was nothing compared to the accident.

Looking away from her, she spoke. "Let's go in"

Behind her the two twins looked confused at each other but shrugged and followed her into the strange hut. Mabel looked fondly as almost nothing had changed, she still had the letter 'S' missing from the ceiling sign, the gift shop was still filled with a strange objects, the bottle with eyes rested on the counter. It even looked like the sweets in the vending machine were the same! And that was not very pleasant to know, if they really were still the same. Swallowing heavily, Mabel noticed, a little sad, the absence of a certain red-haired girl at the cash register. Knowing that Wendy was older than her, she had probably gotten a job elsewhere, she might have left town. Maybe she got married!

The simple idea excited and saddened Mabel at the same time. Wendy got married and was not invited to the wedding? Impossible. The two were very good friends, so she could assume that the redhead was still single, or at least she had not yet married. Suddenly a familiar figure emerged from a side door in the gift shop. Mabel smiled at the familiarity, the black suit as elegant as ever, the usual patch of hers covering one of her eyes as she held that stick with a billiard ball. 

"Welcome to the Shack of the ...", the man broke off before his gaze lit up with recognition. "Sweety!"

Mabel barely held back the tears. "Uncle Stan!"

Once more he ran to meet her. Holding him tightly without ever wanting to let him go, with memories of her adolescence hitting her mind, hugs as a family when they were still together. Fourteen years, that was the time that she avoided setting foot in that town, unable to bear going back to the place that she took from her brother. Crying every night in the solitude of her room. She now she was back, into the warm arms of her beloved uncle, at least one of them. Since the loss of Dipper, Ford had returned to his travels in other dimensions to try to find him. He still had no luck. Mabel just wanted everyone to be together one more time.

"It's so good to see you", Stan gently pushed her away and looked at her proudly. "And you grew so much"

Mabel laughed. "That's what kids do", teased before wiping her eyes. "I came accompanied"

She turned around to point to the two blond teenagers who were waiting patiently. For a moment she thought she saw her uncle turn pale. As if she had seen a ghost, perhaps a memory from the past. And Mabel couldn't blame him.

"I will prepare the rooms".

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹ ۞↹۞↹۞

Why the hell did the time baby want to drop him off in town a week before his request? He could easily have left him the same day but he had decided to let him go a week earlier. It's not like Varian was complaining, no, he was happy to be away from the extreme whiteness and green lights of the time agency although he found the decision of the baby time unnecessary. Hopefully he was able to keep his mind busy trying to find a meaning for that and he didn't get too stressed out in the week he had already spent in the mystery shack. Certainly, and unsurprisingly, being in Gravity Falls had given him new experiences that he never had at the agency.

Things beyond multi-weapon training with the guards. Make them angry with he words. He read papers you shouldn't read, learn new things about the vast multiverse and its impending dangers as well as the wonders it could have. Now it was a completely new routine. Starting with the sun coming through he window instead of being woken up by loud footsteps in the corridor, having pancakes for breakfast instead of the puree and vegetables that were served in the dining room of the time. Sharing a table with someone, as annoying as Mr. Pines was. Conversing with other people who really listened to him.

No unjustified hatred, no more cold annoyed stares. No excuses to beat him whenever they could, no more insults or gossip that he heard in the dining room. Gravity Falls didn't judge him for anything, maybe because they didn't know who his father was. And strangely enough, Mr. Pines treated him like a son, or a nephew, or someone close. Varian smiled as he twirled the gold coin in his fingers.

A voice interrupted the silence of the forest. "Someone seems happy"

Varian stopped the coin, holding it tightly as he looked down from his place on a tree branch. Dylan greeted him from the base, waving casually, drenched from head to toe. His brown hair with a pair of disheveled purple strands and out of his usual hairstyle, the little braid he wore on one side of him was absent. That was something you didn't see much of in someone like Dylan, who always used to comb his hair properly and took great care of his hair.

"And what happened to you?", Asked Varian

Dylan looked embarrassed. "I fell into a pond"

Oh, that happened. Rare. Varian stared at him silently, Dylan's cheeks tinted red with embarrassment, then he burst into laughter. Varian surprised himself with that, laughing in the middle of the forest as he had never done before, shuddering in giggles at his hand that made his shoulders shake. _Not like a Cipher._ The words of the time agents echoed in his mind, cruel and cold, hateful looks that made him shut up, waiting to cause trouble, keeping his hatred deep within his being. But something else overshadowed him, another thought that pushed them; _He fell into a pond_. He was funny, the funniest thing he had heard since he was in the time agency, the first time he laughed again like before. The first time he really wanted to do it, the first time he didn't end with bitter tears choked by his pillow in the dark of a room.

"Oh my what?", Varian sneered with giggles. "In a pond?"

Dylan brushed a lock of hair off his face. "Yes, yes, tease, I hope you fall off that branch", he gently kicked the tree

His laughter trailed off with a sigh. Playing with the coin in he fingers before making it disappear. He broke a rule, not to use his powers in the presence of a human but that didn't matter. Dylan never questioned it, not when the town was a magnet of oddities, enough with a vague explanation of inherited supernatural powers for the boy to understand and not press. One point in his favor. Not everything was so bad in town; If Cassandra was not counted, who was constantly hot on her heels and making visits to the cabin to check her behavior. Varian was fine in this place, away from graceless white walls. Happily breathing the air of that pine forest, grateful to have someone to listen to him. Even if he was an idiot like Dylan.

He just needed someone who would really listen to him, who would be there for him through bad and good situations. He wanted someone who wouldn't think he was a monster just because of his inheritance, who would believe him when he said that his father was not the ruthless being they portrayed. His father never was! It was unfair to think that just because of how it was in the past, because of the mistakes he made before, that he was denied forgiveness for things he did before. They were bad, Varian did not deny him, his father was never a saint, he was born a demon and nobody would change him, they could not change what he was but _who_ he was. His mother did. And Varian firmly believed it. He will hold him to the end even if no one believed him, he would dream of being once again home, he would remember the days he spent practicing magic with his father, how he healed his wounds after training and how he gave him words of support.

He would keep his mother's warm hugs and soft kisses on his chest. Good memories of songs sung before he slept and he will plunge into the world of dreams. The happy talks in the mental escape. Everything his parents did for him.

Varian speaks, his voice soft. "Have you ever wondered, Dylan, why things happen?"

From below, Dylan hesitates. "Fate?", And when the sapphire gaze turns in his direction he flinches a bit. "What do I know?"

"Yes, what do I know", repeated Varian melancholy.

"Hey", Dylan calls from downstairs. "Do you want to eat ice cream or something?"

From his place, Varian can easily read the other's intentions. _It's cute_ , he thinks, _let him worry about me_. He smiles slightly at her before jumping off the branch, not caring about any possible injury, a demon doesn't get hurt that easily, a half demon doesn't either, not one who has spent a lot of time dealing with worse injuries and has trained. Too much, more than a _kid_ should. With a nod, Varian lets himself be guided to town. 

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹ ۞↹۞↹۞

Pass at least half an hour for the rooms to be ready. Which, for Hugo, seems to be quick, he doesn't question it and follows the man into his room while Miss Mabel goes to hers, not bothering at all about having to share a room with her sister. They have done it before. Rapunzel gives him a quick look and beckons him to smile, Hugo ignores her rolling his eyes. She doesn't get upset, she has no reason to be angry about the serious fact that her younger brother hates that place. That makes Hugo hate him more, his sister can have fun while he suffers from being trapped in that town all summer. And he just waits until his sister tells her parents how 'great' it was and they decide to send them back next summer, and the next and the next...Hugo doesn't want this to happen, but it's not like he can avoid it. 

Their parents always have the last word. Parents are sure to have a thing for having the last word in everything. If they decide to send them back to that town Hugo could be sure that he would jump off a bridge. During the walk upstairs, Hugo noticed a room that was locked and to which Mr. Pines did not take they, he did not have time to investigate but decided to leave it for later. Maybe he could kill the boredom that way. The room Stan indicated that they would sleep in was one that was on the top floor, near the attic, with a small triangular window just above a table that separated two beds.

"You know bunk beds could be good too!", Her sister sat on the bed that had pink blankets.

Hugo sighed. "I don't think it's enough room for bunk beds", he regretted a bit at the disappointment on his sister's face. "But this is fine"

"It is", Rapunzel jumped to her feet. "Come on, let's unpack a bit"

Hugo was grateful that his sister did not have the 'incredible' idea of visiting the village. He started to unpack his luggage with the quiet ramble of his sister.

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹ ۞↹۞↹۞

The cosmos sparkles in a unique blend of kaleidoscopic colors. Emerging into nothingness and fading into nothingness. The resounding clashes of ancient powers reverberates through the eternal void that stretches beyond the horizon. If it exists. Magic sparkles softly, quietly, so naturally that it's impossible not to think how fascinating it is. It is an exquisite spectacle that no one could ever get tired of. So moldable in its own way and unpredictable. Flowing in the cosmos like waves in the sea. Dancing slowly through existence itself. Ethereal in the air but heavy on the body. A strange mix that makes it perfect.

 _Just like its owner_.

The thought seemed a bit... No comment. Out of context at the time. Sigh frustrated, walking through the corridors of the little cabin that stood in nothingness. Cozy despite the immense darkness that surrounded her, luminous stars flashed randomly. He paused to gaze at a small photo posted on the wall in an extravagant, but very extravagant, gold frame with small sapphires and rubies. Three boys were smiling at the camera, a strange landscape loomed behind them, their gaze fell on the blond boy.

_Oh, if only there were_...

"Sir, the boy left the agency"

The voice brought him out of his thoughts. Sighing he extended his gloved hand to take the paper that was extended to him. The paper was thick, too thick to be a simple sheet of paper, his gaze swept over the letters, eagerly reading each word. He frowned at the black blots covering the words, hell, he ran a hand through his red hair. Well, after all it seemed like it wouldn't be all that easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian has a friend, the boy needed someone. And I am willingly delaying the meeting between Varian and Hugo.


	3. Chapter 3

_"WE'LL MEET AGAIN_

_DON'T KNOW WHERE_

_DON'T KNOW WHEN_

_BUT I KNOW WE'LL MEET_

_AGAIN SOME SUNNY DAY..."_

His father's harmonious voice fills the main hall gently. Varian, no more than five years old, slowly opens his eyes, pushing away the dreamy cloud that enveloped him. His mother laughs, so melodic it almost puts him in a trance, she taps his nose with the tip of her finger. The touch is light and delicate. He sees his mother standing up, his plate of cookies now empty, walking until he is lost in the hallway that leads to the kitchen.

Excited little Varian leaps to his feet, rocking on his heels for a second while looking at his father. He's too busy looking down the hall his mother just got lost in to notice he's looking at him. And Varian thinks, ironically, the most dangerous demon in the universe distracted by a human. With a giggle, he runs up to him, clinging to his leg to get his attention. His father blinks in confusion before looking at him, smiling sweetly and then ruffling his hair.

 _Daddy, will you always be with me_?

His father does not hesitate. Squeezing his cheek lovingly before answering.

_Always, I'll be by your side no matter what_

And when his mother enters the room again, with the plate full once more, his father turns to go back to the piano. His fingers moving nimbly on the keys, this time, Varian does not move away, staring in amazement at his father's talent.

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹ ۞↹۞↹۞

Firm footsteps echoed through the white corridors. Shimmering. Dark doors lining each side, shaking violently with fierce blows as the men advanced. The wall at the end opened to reveal descending stairs. Down, far down somewhere in that great structure. Green fluorescent lights flashing on the ceiling, dimly illuminating their course.

A lonely cell rose at the end. Four walls made of thick glass placed in the center like a crystalline prison. Adorned as if it were a room. A lonely man sat on the ground, thinner than before, his battered brown hair falling over his face. Long and sloppy. Elegant clothing torn to pieces over time. Time that he had spent in that glass box, suffering even when he didn't have to. Crying, dry tears on his cheeks. Dark bruises under his chocolate eyes. Staring at some point on the floor. Maybe so much whiteness had driven him crazy, or maybe not, maybe it made him regain his sanity and then lose it again. They would never know. Not if he refused to cooperate.

They would never know what was really going through his mind.

"It is gone"

The man didn't flinch, he wasn't paying attention to her.

"Varian has left the agency"

The name ignited something in him. He looked up quickly, enough to give himself a whiplash, something gleaming in his eyes. A mixture of hope and sadness. The man lunged for the nearest wall, striking fiercely and scaring the guards in the process. A smirk made its way across his face, malicious and when he laughed, it was pure poison.

"Well I hope they know what they have done"

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Hugo watched apathetically as his sister and Miss Mabel discussed the best ways to decorate a room with pink glitter. Well, for an adult Mabel was a bit, very, childish. He sighs as he heads to his bedroom door, hoping that when he comes back he won't have to deal with a bed full of glitter or stickers or all those cute things his sister might have in his suitcase. He walked away to casually approach the room that was locked. What he barely noticed was actually the attic. He looked around the corridor to verify that he really was alone. He took the knob and turned it just to check that it was still closed.

He sighed as he lifted the door to touch the door frame for a key. None. Maybe you should ask Mabel or Mr. Stan why the attic is closed. Or maybe the room they were staying in was really the attic? That didn't matter. Bored, he started down the stairs to go somewhere else, leaving his sister in the capable hands of Mabel. He check the pockets of his green jacket, his favorite, to see if he had money. Maybe he'll use it for the vending machine or to go to town. Whatever think is best. On the way downstairs he could hear the sound of the bell placed on the door of the gift shop. Curious, he decided to go see who it was, perhaps a client.

He could hear Mr. Stan's voice with some tourists who came from the museum. He really should hire someone who will work at the gift shop or would lose a lot of shoppers. He finally went inside the store only to stay still when sapphire eyes stared back at him.

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Hypothetically speaking, eating ice cream after falling into a pond was not the best. Varian knew it and still had gladly accepted his friend's offer, now Dylan was back home after starting to sneeze when the ice cream ran out. Most likely, he would get flu. So now Varian was on his way to the mystery shack, to get on with his work at the cash register, the one that, by the way, had jumped to go to the forest. He just hoped Mr. Pines was in a good mood and didn't give him a cheap lecture on lack of profit in his absence. Varian could easily double a fare or two, even a pair, to please the older man's greed but nah. Would not make it so easy.

Man should learn to get money in a not so simple way. And in any case, he should rush back before the day is out and they run out of profit. In fact, now he that think about it, it's amazing that Mr.Pines doesn't care about his trips to the woods. It must be because of the fact that he still thinks he's dating Dylan. In the romantic sense. It's not like Dylan isn't an option, he's attractive if I had to admit it but he's not really his type. Varian may not have a specific type, not considering that he was surrounded by elderly men for thousands of years.

Putting that aside, Varian trotted up to the porch of the cabin. Around him to get to the door of the gift shop, he wiped the dirt from the boots on the steps. Remembering the time Mr. Pines had him sweep the entire store, including the museum, after leaving his footprints full of dirt. He would not risk it again. He flinched slightly at the jingle of the bell when he opened the door but quickly ignored it to go to the refrigerator by the counter. Opening him to look inside, taking a chocolate palette when not finding anything better. Peeling off the wrapper to tighten it in the other hand.

He leaned his back on the counter as he listened to Mr. Pines in the distance. Then he could hear footsteps approaching the store, he directed his gaze to the door that led to the museum and he met a boy. They both looked at each other for a few seconds, the blond boy looked at him silently, absentmindedly playing with the green fabric of his jacket. And when it looked like he was going to say something he was quickly accosted by a blonde girl who came out of the museum. Hugging him from behind tightly.

"Hugo!", Exclaimed the mysterious girl who looked too much like the boy. Twins probably. "Where would you go?"

The boy, Hugo, turns to push her away. "Far from your idea of filling our room with glitter"

Varian glances at them at that. That boy said 'Our room' Were they staying in the cabin? Well, you wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Pines suddenly decided to provide accommodation in exchange for a good, and questionably, reasonable amount of money. The most surprising thing would be if he didn't. He let the two boys' conversation fade into the background as he think about what to do after the store closes. Perhaps he will escape to the forest again, where he can be calm and quiet, without other people's fights or the screaming of Señor Pines when he gets angry at the television shows.

A part of him thought about going beyond the established limit, going deep into the forest until he reached the center. Finding the stone pillars that form a circle in the center of the forest, which divides into three paths, where butterflies and flowers abound. Not counting the hybrid animals that can be found. Varian knows that beyond the circle some strange crystals grow that do not allow lying, she wishes to get her hands on one of those to use it against the agency of time in a way that does not seem suspicious. After all, Varian grew up with the stories of every magical item that can be found in town. His mother's diary, with her feelings in dark ink, is just another way to find out what mysteries the world hides.

Varian's entire childhood was based on hearing the stories of all the magical events that ever happened in the world. Ultimately, his father was not only a powerful demon, but he also lived for thousands of years. With a lot of knowledge that she shared with her mother and they both passed on to her in a good way. Now he plans to use that knowledge to find out what happened _exactly_ that day.

When the sky was ripped into luminous colors, a rift between dimensions, and time agents stormed the mansion. They mercilessly separating a family, taking his parents away without being able to see them again, putting handcuffs on their little wrists to stop him. Then he hear the shot, his mother's shrill scream, so desperate, so _terrified_. He did not listen to his father again, not beyond the memories he had, the sweet memories of conversations about how powerful he was. Then came the time baby, so imposing and conceited, laughing at the death of his biggest problem, not caring about the fact that his father had already changed. Varian remembers, helplessly, how he was dragged against his will to the agency of time.

It was kept as a trophy nothing more. Without letting go, the time baby kept it as if he had no right to leave, as if it belonged to him. Varian had to live in that damn agency, with the constant beatings he didn't deserve, with insults on his family, knowing what others thought of all of them. From his mother, father and uncles. Uncles that he never let he visit again. Varian was eager to return the favor, to expose every unjust incarceration the agency made, to open the eyes of the people of the future so they will notice the cruel actions of baby time, to tear that agency apart until there was nothing left. Then he would be happy, just had to... 

"There you are boy!"

Mr. Pines's furious voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Rolling his eyes he said: "Mr. Pines", he broke the popsicle stick. "What do you need?"

"Listen kid, you can't leave whenever you want, I need you here to serve clients", Stan scolded him.

Varian shrugged. "Which clients?"

"Yeah, yeah, kid, laugh", Stan gave him an annoyed look before sighing heavily. "I want you in the store on the agreed time", he ordered. "That money is very valuable",

"Not as much as gold", Varian noted

Stan looked at him before turning around, muttering to himself a 'If I had gold I'd be far from here' before heading back to the museum. Where he would surely continue to fool more ignorant people who were swallowing his false stories about mysterious creatures. Varian laughed before feeling the gaze of the two blondes on him. He decided to ignore them as he walked around the counter to take his place at the cash register. He watched as the blonde approached with a smile on her face and could anticipate what she would do —and not just because her thoughts were noisy—. He sighed as he prepared for what was next.

"Hello!", She greeted excitedly. "My name is Rapunzel Aigner and this is my brother Hugo", he introduced himself. "We're twins"

"Who names Rapunzel for his daughter?", he asks with a frown.

The girl looked confused for a few seconds. "I ... I don't know", she laughed nervously. "A person?"

"Of course a person", he replied sarcastically

"What about yours?"

Varian looked at the blond boy. Finding emerald eyes staring at him with defiance, clearly not very happy for the attitude he had given her sister, perhaps he was an overprotective brother. Which was weird since it seemed like the girl was the oldest. Although she not the smartest apparently. Even so, he never missed a challenge, in addition, the boy only asked he name, then he could ignore them until they decided to leave.

"Varian" 

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That's his name? Well Hugo looks away to avoid saying what he thinks. It has a nice sound, and he can almost swear he see a half smile play across the boy's face when him think about it. Putting that aside, he spins his sister around to make her head back inside the cabin, leaving the boy alone in the gift shop without seeming to care. His sister does not complain at any time, even when his expression makes it clear what he thinks, she wants to go back and try to talk one more time with the boy. Hugo doesn't share his excitement, again, it's not like he does it many times.

He doesn't want to go back to the gift shop. No thanks, he wants to avoid another awkward conversation with the strange boy who only has cold answers and edges. And it seems like he doesn't want to be bothered. In fact, when they both looked into each other's eyes, Hugo felt as if he was digging into his mind, as if he was trying to see beyond what was in front of him and inquire into his soul. _It was strange_ , and it sent a chill down his spine. Something about the boy was weird, his aura maybe and the thought was stupid. He was just a boy, a strange boy who lived in a small town away from the city life Hugo was used to. Of course it would be strange to him.

Most likely, he only had misconceptions about people in big cities. In such a small town are sure there is not much to see. They must be the new form of entertainment, the source of new buzz that will spread throughout the summer. Hugo can already see it coming and hates it. The simple idea of being the new topic of conversation for a boring town puts him in a bad mood, he doesn't want to have to lead with comments like those of a few moments ago and the looks they will give me. _Overwhelming_. And yet it doesn't feel like that, the memory of that sapphire gaze on his feels like something different. It felt as if something invaded his mind and stirred his memories, he is sure he felt a pull inside him at that moment but he cannot know exactly what it was.

It's all so confusing and he don't want to deal with it. He don't want to have to deal with any of that. He sighs in frustration as he lets his sister continue to advance on her own, and if she speaks Hugo does not pay much attention to her. He still feels overwhelmed, slightly dizzy as if something has jolted his mind. And maybe his soul. Then he realizes that he is rambling about something nonsensical. So he decides to let the matter go while trying to keep up with his sister's words. 

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With an annoyed sigh, Varian looks at the time on his cell phone screen. Grateful for the _kind_ gift that baby time gave him time. It's almost four in the afternoon, and he's suddenly disappointed that his father couldn't retain the ability to control time or he would have already shortened those minutes. It's not like he could anyway, a half demon couldn't withstand a power of such magnitude so...Nope, no discussion. And he thinks, absentmindedly, that it is curious that the time agency or the time baby itself does not know. They thought that by taking the powers of their father they became part of his body, that they functioned with their own powers but that is impossible.

So much power would tear his body apart, it would be unbearable. It would burn like hell. It would burn her insides with a strange mixture of an icy sensation. And that's just based on the descriptions his father told him, it's just a rough idea of what that amount of power could do to his body if he tried something like that. It is not impossible, remember, someone with great will could achieve it if they proposed it but Varian does not want to do it. The matter of separating powers is even more complicated and is not a problem he want to have in the future. If he plan pays off. And now he has drifted to the branches, remembering the things his father used to say to him when he asked if he could one day be a true demon.

_You don't need it, you are perfect just the way you are._

Varian growls in annoyance, throwing the cell phone against the wall only to stop it inches from impact. He sighs shakily, sinking back into the chair as the weight of the phone settles into his hand. He ruffles his hair, trying to convince himself that he doesn't want his father to do it. And it fails miserably at that, as it always does. He wipes his eyes hastily, wiping away tears that aren't shed, not in that place —and makes a mental note to erase the video from the surveillance camera—. The last thing he needs is for Mr.Pines to know what he really is, about his origin, because then he will have the agency reproaching his lack of care.

He doesn't even want to think about Cassandra's expression when that happens. If it happens. But in another case, there are times when the agency not may know that used its powers. Like he did with that boy, he probed his mind, because well, it's fun, and he's not bound by those 'can only inquire if allowed' rules. Small perks of just being a half demon. Although his mother would not be very happy, but his father, oh him, would reward him for that.

A small smile is drawn on his face at the thought. Him phone begins to vibrate on the counter, the screen lights up to show that it is already four o'clock. Standing up, Varian takes it to run to the door and flip the sign on the store door. He walks away to run into the cabin, yelling a 'Mr. Pines' loudly only to freeze when he enters the room. A woman stares back at him, not just any woman, her brown hair falling down her back. And when her brown eyes look up at him, Varian can feel him stop breathing. That is Mabel Pines, it must not enter her mind to know, and it is not only because her name is engraved on her sweater that he manage to know. No, Varian knows more about her than can believe.

As he looks at her, he can't help but remember. The warm hand of her mother, the songs before going to sleep, the soft squeak of a pen writing on a page. The warm hugs, those days sitting by the fireplace drinking hot chocolate with the sound of the piano in the background. The song that has been repeated in his mind for as long as he can remember. That promise he will never forget. And the thought appears in his mind.

_They look too alike and at the same time they don't look alike._


	4. Chapter 4

When he went upstairs he didn't mean it to be that way. He was not in his plans to run away in mid-greeting from the brown woman, who he had now left confused in the middle of the room. It shouldn't be like that but he couldn't, Varian was forced to flee when he realized that he couldn't see her without looking at someone else. It wasn't his fault that the memories decided to hit his mind and shake his heart with something that hurt. The feeling was horrible. He found himself unable to bear it and left, fleeing to the solitude of his room, he did not even want to make a fuss. But he was so immersed in his own mind, trying to push the memories away that he didn't realize he whippedd the door.

Like a child throwing a tantrum. One that didn't make sense. That didn't matter anymore, if he seemed like a child to others, so be it but he's not willing to go out to face things. Not yet, he needed a little time to assimilate everything. To get used to seeing Mabel without seeing...Someone else. It would be difficult but Varian did not reject a challenge, even when it was one as painful as that. Trying to calm his racing heart, he held the little doll with the appearance of a blond man in his hands. Looking a few seconds before removing the black patch to see his golden eye made of threads. He had sewn the doll himself, with materials that he managed to get at the time agency, no one complained about that, no one murmured about it. For a moment, they seemed to remember that he was just a boy. _Varian hated his compassion._

That doll was a living image of his father. He had done it in his image. With the hopes that he could give he the same affection and warmth that he once received from his father. It served, on occasions like these, calming his emotions so he could sleep in peace. Other times it just made him remember, good times before the tragedy. Varian pushed his hair back from his face with a huff as he made the doll pretend to dance. His mother liked to dance, and his father always reluctantly accompanied him. It was cute, to see how the grimace on his father's face transformed into a smile when his mother entwined their fingers and guided him through the main hall.

Looking sad, at the memory of those good times that had been abruptly snatched away, Varian stood up. He walked to the shelf that rested on the desk at the other end of the wall, took the small wooden box in her hands and carefully took out her mother's journal. He put the box in its place and then go back to bed with the journal, once again reading the pages while hugging the stuffed animal with the appearance of his father.

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Rapunzel hummed thoughtfully in her room. Having finished decorating her side, with stickers and a couple of her drawings, she turned her gaze to the closed door. Debating whether to go out and find out what had happened or stay as her brother had told her to do. Now, on a good note, Hugo was asleep and would not know anything she decided to do. She was tempted to go out to try to find out who had come up the stairs so hastily and whipped the door. Only one person could be: Varian, that boy they met at the gift shop that morning. And although she had not been the kindest person, that did not make Rapunzel's desire to know he better diminish. She would be his friend no matter how much she had to do.

She was always willing to give everyone she met a chance, even if they got off to a bad start. Rapunzel was the type of person who would not give up on the world. It wouldn't be any different with a boy who had made fun of her name, no sir, that didn't affect her. She was sure there was a nice side to it somewhere, she just had to know how to find it. Maybe I should start by trying to help her. With that in mind, Rapunzel slipped out of the room to what must be Varian's. Her fist gently tapped on the door, trying not to make too much noise in case her brother could hear her. And when he didn't respond, she thought that maybe he had hit too low.

She try one more time and again and again for the next five minutes without having an answer. Well, she learned that Varian must have a heavy sleep, or he was ignoring her, or maybe he wasn't in the room —which meant she was stupidly knocking on the door— but she won't think about that. She can talk to him tomorrow, unless he's voluntarily avoiding her, which wouldn't make sense, because they live in the same house and don't know each other at all. Rapunzel sighs as she walks back to his room. Thinking of how he would approach the other boy in the morning.

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Cassandra peered down the stairs that led to the first floor. Everything was silent, which probably meant her guardian had already gone to sleep, or was just sitting in the living room meditating until Cassandra decided to make her move and she will catch her red-handed. Which happened very often and was very annoying. Cassandra could never know what Adira was thinking, no one at the agency knew, the woman was so unpredictable that one had to be careful in her presence. And of all the agents, they decided that the woman was the best option to train her.

It was a bummer! The woman not only teased each time she failed but mentioned it whenever she could. Not counting the fact that she gave her tasks that had nothing to do with the assigned training. Adira was unbearable, although she was not just a smug who liked to be right, she had to accept that the woman was wise. Considering her age of course she had to be, she had given him advice that had helped her to improve herself. But that was not something she would admit out loud, she would never do it, it would not raise that woman's ego.

For a second he weighed his options. She could go downstairs, try to get out the front door and risk being stopped by Adira right away, or she can go up and out of his window. As it has done on other occasions. The second option seems the best, considering what she are going to do; she retraces her steps and goes to her room. Taking her backpack that rests in a corner, full of small sandwiches, water and the anomaly detector. She carefully opened her sliding window, taking one last look at the locked door, sighed as she walked out the window. Jumping onto the nearby tree branch, she sighed as she began her descent.

She be in a lot of trouble if Adira found out that it turned out that way. She be in trouble either way by leaving so late. Adira wouldn't forgive her for doing something this reckless, much less if she found out about his goal. Her true goal, beyond taking care of the only son of a powerful demon, much more than just being a girl for the other officers. More important than waiting until her time will come. She had a purpose, one given by a person who is confident in her abilities, someone who saw beyond a girl trying to be someone. Someone who gave her a purpose, who helped her find her destiny.

 _Find the journal's_.

And she doesn't question. She doesn't ask questions, not when she has a job to do. Unable to know whether answers will be given or just pushed aside, she don't want to think about which is more likely. Cassandra is curious, she has it, bubbling inside her like a rough sea in a storm, but she doesn't want to poke too much. Not when that can cost she everything her worked for. She doesn't want to risk being pushed aside once more, and she'll feel terrible if it were all because of her uncontrollable curiosity.

She have a mission, an important one that must fulfill to achieve her goal. A goal that can put her job at risk —one that was chosen by her mother years ago—.From a young age, she was taught that her place was in the agency, that she should always follow the orders given to her by others, be just an obedient child. She's sick of it, and maybe it's not much different than what she's doing but it's different, she chose to do this. She chose to take the hand that was offered, listen to their plans, and follow their orders. Knowing that if they achieve their goal she will have a place, someone who accepts her as she is; it will stop being just someone's shadow.

She cannot fail, if she fail her will lose everything. Her work, her home, her life. Cassandra knows that she has a lot to lose, even if many of the things she has are just something her mother gave her. A legacy that she does not want to have. Being a member of the Time Paradox Squad was something she wanted to be as a child, when her mother would tell her the wonders of her work, before she saw the cruelty of time agents. The cruelty of the full agency, of the baby time. Keeping secrets, destroying families, unjustly locking up people who didn't deserve it. Cassandra is fed up, she's had enough of all that, she's ready to turn things around, even if it means following the orders of a demon.

_If Adira finds out._

She will be in trouble.

If Adira finds out.

_She will not_.

It is highly unlikely that Adira will find out. She will be alright. Cassandra sighs as she activates the detector.

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The sound of heels echoed through the hallways. A pair of crystal slippers on the birch floor. White fabric creeping slowly across the floor, the long gown sparkling with little sparkles in the folds of the waves of her dresses. Ethereal light streaming through the windows. The stars sparkle in their constant movement. Memory and forgetfulness traverse the cosmos, flowing apathetically into existence itself. Magic dripping softly into her fingertips, patiently calling for use, curling in her palm like tendrils.

She stops. Expectant, waiting for your presence to be noticed. He does not do it. He doesn't realize she's standing right behind him, instead, too focused on muttering curses to himself as he rubs his temple. She makes a decision. She brushes a wavy lock from his face, pink hair with azure blue, carefully approaches where he is sitting. Once again he doesn't notice her, doesn't move an inch even at the sound of his heels. She slides her hand down the back of the chair, hugging him by the shoulders and he finally notices her presence. He tenses under his touch before relaxing with a heavy sigh.

None speak. They don't need it to know how the other is feeling. She closes her eyes, using their him soul's connection to try and make him feel better. The misery and burden of her body seeps into her mind, so heavy that she understands the attitude she has adopted in recent months. The cosmos breaks, a silent scream of grief before it returns to normal. She cannot allow her emotions to take over her judgment. It would only make things more difficult, and that's the last thing she need.

"You know", he begins, so soft she barely hears it. "When I found out he had a nephew I thought taking care of him would be the worst", he laughs without grace. "I was not wrong"

She hums. "Do you want to know why?", Her question lingers for a few seconds before she decides to answer it. "You care about him"

"I don't know him", he growls annoyed. "I don't know the damn child and do I care about him?"

"Oh _phill_ , my love", she laughs sweetly. "That happens when it comes to family"

Phill stands up. So fast that she has to blink when she realizes she has, she stands up to see him. Even when a few inches shorter than him. She is ready, ready to hear his complaints about how a demon cannot have those kinds of emotions, about the lack of feelings. About things that will make his heart clenched in pain. Those never come. By the time she realizes Phill is looking at her, his crimson eyes filled with something he can't quite decipher, perhaps defeat or acceptance, or a strange mix of both.

She is surprised when he closes the distance between them. He catching her in a hug, of all things, he gently stroking her hair. It takes her a few seconds to hug him back, burying her face in his chest, enjoying something that he rarely does.

Then Phil whispers: "I'm going to bring him back home."

Whatever a home means.


	5. Chapter 5

**_You missed me, admit it, you missed me._ **

Being careful Hugo began to enter the forest, leaving the stone path. With a flashlight in hand he was careful not to trip, feeling slightly dizzy at the immense amount of tall pine trees that surrounded him. Casting the huge shadows on him. Spreading himself through thick undergrowth Hugo nearly died of a fright when a deer came out of nowhere. Screaming loudly as he backed away. He felt a bit stupid, but fortunately there was no one to see him.

Putting that aside, he continued to advance. Guided only by what he had heard that afternoon from one of the townspeople. 

_The forest is full with mysteries at night._

That was something impossible, he knew it well but still, he was a little curious to know what the townspeople were referring to. Mysteries? There could be thousands of answers to that question, and the worst part was that he didn't know which one was correct. Or if there was one that was right. The townspeople could simply have been talking about some kind of legend. It was normal for villages far from the city to have all kinds of invented legends. Although that could only happen in movies too.

The cold began to seep into his green jacket but that doesn't stop him. He continues to delve deeper, treading carefully so as not to trip over some thick root —which doesn't work—. His foot tangles in a root and causes him to stumble forward, rolling for a few feet with a scream. Then he stops, a stabbing pain in his right side that he protests when he tries to stand up. It makes him bite his lip. He staggering slightly before putting his weight on his left leg; _and the ground sinks under his feet._

Everything is blurry, a sharp buzz deep in his mind, Hugo groans as he tries to get to his feet. Failing, he leans heavily on his palms, trying to push away the cloud that blinds his eyes, his head spinning. He stops, noticing something red very close to him with difficulty.

That is not blood.

Very clear to be it.

He reaches out a hand to fumble for his glasses, cursing under his breath when he can barely touch one end. Squeeze hard to pull, without wasting time cleaning. He puts them on to frown when he realizes what is in front of him. There, lying on the ground, its dusty red cover, with a little dirt on top as if someone had tried to hide it, or dig it up, with a golden hand etched into the cover.

A book.

An abandoned book in the woods.

Who would do that?

Hugo raises his hand to touch his forehead, feeling his fingers moisten slightly, he moves them away to see the red. Bright red. He wipes the blood on his pants, unable to stain his jacket; the book stays in place, dusty and strange. He counts his fingers with his eyes, six, and that's weird. A hand with six fingers, what the hell? Curiosity wins the battle, forcing him to pick up the book. He feels heavy, dust stains his palm, the number three black makes him raise an eyebrow. Without knowing exactly what it means.

He opens the cover, looking confused at the monocle;he turns the page and reads.

_June 18_

_It's hard to believe it's been six years since..._

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Cassandra holds her breath. Her chest clenches painfully as her mind races by the hour, thoughts swirling through her mind, anxiety growing inside her. Everything around her slowly fades away as she gets caught up in her own thoughts, the annoying voice in her head that talks about her; smooth in a violent whirlpool of chaotic thoughts. Her voice whispers, _her voice_ , so low she almost misses it. A sigh of her breath that tells him an unlikely truth about.

But it is. The murmur that throbs like a buzz in her mind, the muffled beeping of the detector in her backpack, hidden under the other things, the soft rise of the leaves being passed behind her back. Cassandra sticks her back to the tree that keeps her hidden, the big pine is the only thing that gives her security of not being discovered, her breathing becomes calm and slow, enough not to alarm or be noticed.

The boy is unperturbed, he continues reading the journal that he found, sitting on the floor. Cassandra looks at him, poking her head out carefully, her clothes now covered in dirt, the dried blood that stains her pants and drips from her forehead, the cracked glasses she wears. He doesn't notice her, but she looks at him. She is unable to recognize him, not knowing who he is and what he is doing there. A small part of her yells at him to run, away from the forest, to the shack, to find Varian.

Part of her wants to tell he. Tell her the truth about what she is doing, about the plans she is participating in. The rational part of her stops her, knowing that the boy probably won't believe her, that Varian will laugh and risk everything that she has accomplished thus far. Cassandra is not going to risk that happening. For her efforts to be thrown away just because she doesn't know how to act when this strange boy appears. She doesn't need to ruin things by making a hasty decision.

She takes a deep breath, throwing her backpack over her shoulder, slowly and carefully walking away from the tree. Stepping firmly on the ground beneath her feet, dodging twigs, leaves and roots as she moves away from the place. With extreme weight on her shoulders when she realizes it.

_Has failed._

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

Fluorescent lights came on suddenly, illuminating what looked like some kind of underground laboratory; iron or steel walls, with multiple machines attached to the wall. Each with a screen that showed various data, one specific, and the largest showed someone's vital signs. Or something. Several tubes came out of the machine to connect to a cryogenic capsule.

Men in white coats moved quickly into the spacious room. With clipboard in his hands, writing the results and data that appeared on the multiple screens. Coded letters that very few could understand, with symbols flashing on the screens. An ancient language that had been forgotten over time, and of the survivors, those who knew the language, none cooperated. Not by will.

That was the case with that man. Resting in an eternal sleep in the capsule, frozen in time by the agency. With small tubes connected to his head that were meant to discover how to enter his mind, reveal the secrets that he had hidden for millennia and gain knowledge. Nine years and there was no progress; the best researchers worked days and nights without break to try to get something, but failed. All they could get was a nonsensical stupid phrase.

_With fury bubbling, under the torn sky, the moon will turn crimson._

They put all their efforts into trying to make sense of it. They searched ancient books, read the old prophecies, investigated everything thoroughly. Without result. They couldn't find anything related to that phrase, no clue told them what he meant. Maybe it was just nonsense, just something nonsensical born from his mind, from a memory. To verify this, they searched poems, fantasy books, and spell books but found nothing.

The distinctive sound of the elevator arriving echoed through the room, silent in voices but not in sounds. A gray-haired man entered the room with a folder. He pausing in front of the capsule, he squinting at the blond man inside of her, before clearing his throat to get the attention of the others.

"Sirs, I ask for a few seconds of your time", he began. "I have a suggestion that might interest"

The other men exchanged glances for a few seconds before putting down their things and looking at the man.

"¿Do know the being, all powerful, that he brought this guy ..", He pointed to the man behind him. "...of back?"

There was a soft murmur from the men, nervous glances shared by a few; one of the men stepped forward, nervous when he muttered.

"The axolotl?"

The man in front of the capsule smiled. "That's right, and here my suggestion begins"

No one noticed the strange purple glow deep in his gaze. Or the almost forced way she moved her body, everyone was strangely mesmerized in her voice. Losing the already invisible threads that held her limbs.

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

Axolotl laughed, soft and melodious in the ancient heavenly cosmos. Golden threads tangled around his fingers tightly, losing himself in the void as he controlled his poor puppet. The human puppet he had chosen for his purpose, bending his mind to his will for total control. The murmurs she whispered in his ear, light commands so as not to confuse his mind more than it already was. Light mist that overshadowed his true will.

The gray, light fog coming from the doubts of his own mind was in charge of facilitating his work. Human minds were always weak, succumbing to their own fears and ambitions, a weakness that he didn't mind using to his advantage. Even when he turned her stomach with a strange bitter feeling.

_Guilt_.

His fingers moved nimbly through the void, pulling the strings to guide his puppet. She pulling when should stop him so that he won't reveal anything compromising, though it's not like he knows much, not like the other puppet.

The other puppet that was getting difficult to control. Even if he whispered more complex orders, he wove a whole web of lies in order to create a credible story for himself. He is getting difficult, his puppet, that poor boy that she created, with a little cosmos dust, is starting to act of his own free will. He has started doing things that he shouldn't, feeling some things. As if he became human.

Axolotl is confused. Perhaps terrified.

But she doesn't admit it.

How could she, such a powerful being, lose control of her own creation?

_And that terrifies him more._

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

When the evening bustle falls, and the night blanket rises with stars twinkling in the dark, Phill Cipher walks the quiet streets of Gravity Falls.

The town is more picturesque and peaceful than you might think. The citizens have gone to the comfort of their homes, beginning with the preparation of the family dinner. The soft laughter of children, tantrums from not being able to eat dessert until after finishing their dinner, animated barking of a pet that plays with its owner.

His brother used to have a one screaming head; then one day he just left that's what Mom told him, but the truth is, Phil knows that her mother got rid of her, unable to take her screams anymore.

_Bill was devastated._

And it hurt. For the first time in all time, he hurt to see his brother wiping her tears in despair, muttering about he a feelingless being was and that he should act like one. Then, overnight, Bill started acting different, more joker, more liar, more cruel.

 _More indifferent_.

Phill doesn't care about him.

But he did. And he didn't show it.

Now, _jeez,_ Bill is gone.

It is gone. After having changed. Bill lowered his guard and sought his end...

**_No_**.

He didn't deserve that. His brother had changed, for the better, he became a better person, a little, he apologized for his actions. For some, for the record. He stopped deceiving humans, hurting them for fun, started having feelings and then, the unthinkable happened, _got married._

With a human. They had a son, a half-demon child, even when he claimed to hate all humans. But Bill changed, he became someone better. And all for a human.

Why?

_Was it really worth loving someone?_

Phill can't help thinking about the Axolotl. In her soft laugh and his sweet smile. The pink curls falling down his face. The softness of his skin... And maybe he understands.

That is why he wants to get the boy back. To his nephew. He has the right to know him, even if it means having to fight with the time agency or the same time baby. He's going to get his nephew back, no matter what it costs.

In the darkness of the night. Phill Cipher stops in front of the mystery shack. He backing away involuntarily when his gaze collides with the sapphire eyes of a teenager. He smiles at him when he notices the little teddy in his arms, an exact copy of his brother, the boy looks at him confused.

In the blink of an eye, Phill is gone. Reappearing in the space-time. The axolotl recoils at her sudden appearance, so shocked that the threads slip from her fingers, Phill pulls her into a hug.

He realizes. He knows exactly the reason why Bill changed.

_And it really hurts._


	6. Chapter 6

_Tic Tac, on the clock._

Phill Cipher opened his eyes. His eyelids felt unusually heavy. He sighed with something akin to disappointment as he noticed that, on the bed, the space next to him was empty. The familiar figure under the covers was gone, neither the pink strands scattered on the pillow or the warm hand resting on his chest.

And Phill's heart contracted.

He had agreed to do what the humans called 'sleep' at the Axolotl's request. He doesn't need it, he was a being of energy and therefore he fed on it. And space-time was full of that delicious energy that sparkled everywhere. With soft tendrils that wound around his body patiently, waiting for his power to be used.

A power that could be molded to the will of its possessor. The power that had no limits or restrictions. The same one that couldn't be used by someone weak, or a mere human, or his body would be ripped apart by raw power in a matter of seconds.

Power, which he knew had spent millennia resting until its rightful owner will claim it.

_Tic Tac on the clock._

An owner who found a unique way to transform it. Being so chaotically fascinating that it was hard to ignore. The familiar tug on his stomach caused every time he felt the power fill his lungs as he breathed. A gentle tickle that runs through his skin as he feels like magic blending perfectly with his power. The lovely vision of being able to play with her with his hands.

Space-time is the perfect place to gain more power.

Or, also, it is the perfect place to find something.

Something that is not power. Something that causes the same sensations but for different reasons; the tug on her stomach every time the Axolotl's face lights up with a smile or the tingle of every time she takes her hand.

Space-time, the cosmos itself, may be something fascinating. But she, the Axolotl, is something unique.

_Tic Tac on the clock._

The cosmos lies calm in the absence of its owner. The only person present paces the living room, impatient and unable to know what to do. With a feeling of concern growing in her chest, the girl did not appear for the meeting. The girl, human, who is not older than her nephew, whom she was supposed to see in the forest but that she did not arrive. The girl who had to find the journal's.

But once again, Phill is worried about the girl and not about some silly pages kept in a stupid diary. 

'Go back to sleep, honey.'

But the Axolotl was not there. She didn't murmur sweet words to convince him to close his eyes and do what humans did to regain energy. She cannot calm her worries because she is not in that place, she is in another time. And he can't go to see her because it would all go overboard.

Maybe Phill considers, maybe he should find the girl. He make sure she's okay, that she hasn't had some unfortunate encounter with one of the forest creatures. He might as well take the opportunity to see his nephew.

_Phill never before had so wished the Axolotl would answer his call._

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

Varian cut the stanqueque into pieces. Crumbling frustration as he watched the older of the blond twins smile at him. That strange smile full of joy that did not please him much; with a quick inspection of his mind, Varian saw what the girl was planning.

God have mercy on her.

Or she wait, she already did it.

He shoves the pieces into his mouth eagerly. Trying my best to eat like a human being. Even if a part of him really needs human food; the other half rejects it, leaving a strange bad taste in their mouth that makes he dizzy. He holds back a grimace when the honey turns into a sticky mess in his mouth.

"You piece of ...", Mr. Pines stops his cursing to look at them before addressing his niece. "How about you take them to town?"

Varian rolls his eyes as young Pines's gaze lights up. Feeling something prick his heart upon hearing her laugh, and noticing another difference. The two have a different laugh. He sighs as finishes eating the stanqueque, feeling the nausea rise in her stomach at the lack of something. The demon part of him demands compensation for being forced to eat so much human food —since he's not used to it—. He frowns at the thought of having to go to Cassandra and ask her for something to help ease the discomfort.

The girl will surely scoff at that. How he has problems for who he is, without his body fully supporting human food and without his being able to deal with surviving on energy like the other demons. And, he's not like he cares, but he will never be like either species. No matter how hard he tries, he can't belong to either of them, they don't have a place that he can call home. The only people who loved him are gone, killed by the agency that kept him as a trophy.

Oh, just hope they know what they've done.

They have everything to lose if they he get really pissed off.

"Hey, Varian", calls the blonde girl. Rapunzel, and he almost laughed at the name. "Do you want to come with us?"

"I'm busy"

He doesn't bother to look at her. With her thoughts it is enough to know that her initial emotion has faded a bit. The girl shrinks a bit in her seat, but her brother, the damned one, growls under his breath before laughing.

Mr. Pines mutters to get his niece out of the dining room. Varian knows, that Stan does not want problems but that he has left him to deal with them.

"With what?"

"Stuff"

Varian realizes that the answer does not satisfy the curiosity of either blonde. He can hear his thoughts, and he realizes that the boy's are not much different from the time agency's.

"Like you, sitting on the roof?", The blond counterattacks.

Varian scoffs. "No, like you, going out to the forest"

The boy pales, and Varian knows that he won. 

He saw it. At night, she heard his footsteps and saw him sneak into the woods. But he didn't bother to check when he returned. That didn't matter to him.

His mind is more concerned with something else than the boy sitting at the same table. The boy, that simple human, is insignificant to him. He can only devote his thoughts to things that really matter to him, or that have caught his attention. That applies to the night before, when he was on the roof of the cabin and after the blond boy left.

Why he did see it too. The man. Redhead. Dressed in elegant clothes. The pair of rubies staring at him in the dark.

And, he thinks, _why the hell does he look like dad?_

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

Cassandra hurriedly scooped cereal into her mouth. Feeling a bit of milk drip down her chin, raising her arm to wipe her trail without giving importance to the look, and just a little, disgusted of Dylan. The flakes crunching in her mouth reminded him of the sound of branches breaking, like last night... Cassandra doesn't want to think about that. No more.

And Dylan doesn't ask.

Was he programmed that way?

_And that sounds cruel._

Thinking of the boy that way makes her feel uncomfortable. It is unpleasant for her to think that Dylan is just a puppet; the boy acts so normal that she sometimes really believes he is human. Cassandra knows that it is wrong to forget that the boy is just a puppet that was molded in the hands of the mighty Axolotl. Only that. But, she doesn't want to have to think that. Dylan has really become a common part of her life; helping her when her does her homework, being there when it's time to practice, and allowing him to stay at his house after a bad night.

Cassandra cannot think that the boy is not really human. Even when the memory of his own words is present. She can't quite accept it.

Then someone knocks on the door. Cassandra stops her hasty breakfast to follow Dylan with her eyes. Feeling the fear born in her stomach at the possibilities; and the worst of all walks through the door.

Phill Cipher looks at her.

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

When he looks through the window of Mabel Pines' car, Varian feels the urge to hit something. The closest thing is the window but, he knows, with the force of it he will break it into pieces. And the last thing he needs is to get in trouble, as well as getting attention in the process.

But he's so upset that he could literally destroy something just to make himself feel a little better. The fact that the blonde girl continues to hum from her place between Hugo and him —since she didn't want any more fights —is even more frustrating. The song is a melody meant to buzz in his ears with an annoying honeyed tone that could drive he crazy. Varian needs to muster all of his self-control so he doesn't yell at him to shut up or jump out the window, whichever is worse.

Soon, the landscape of tall pine trees is replaced by the first houses of the village. The people of Gravity Falls have already started their daily routines, things as monotonous as eating the same thing in cute Susan's cafeteria to playing the same games in the arcade. What is boring, silly, did you mention boring? But these people do not complain, they seem to lead a normal life; as if they had forgotten that they were almost ruled by a powerful triangle-shaped demon. Which could be attributed to the Time Paradox Elimination Squad, but Varian knows it is not so.

The time agency did none of that. The inhabitants of Gravity Falls continue to remember their father, the demon who tried to rule the small town in the worst possible way. With chaos on every corner, demons roaming the streets, and a great throne made of humans. Definitely not the best reign, but an interesting one.

Varian grew up with those stories. He hearing about the great plans his father had for the whole world, about how his reign would be full of chaos and madness. With the anecdotes about how painful it is to lose an eye, and the time it takes to regenerate.

( _The damn eye, of all things!,_ His father would shout at some point in history)

Varian sighs wistfully, knowing that he will never have those moments back. That his parents are gone and it's all the agency's fault. The same one he hates with all his being. He takes a deep breath as he glances at Mabel Pines, internally wishing they would make it to the supermarket.

For a few seconds his gaze meets the blond boy's emerald eyes. Varian raises an eyebrow at the red book that he has been leafing through all the way. The boy shrugs before looking away.

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

The Axolotl plays with a pink lock of its hair. She lazily wraps it around his finger before letting go. Sighing at how boring it is to watch researchers move around without stopping for nothing, hear them mutter about the little progress they have made. The curses that are lost in the air.

She remains oblivious to that. Waiting, watching, through the eyes of her puppet, as they prepare everything to receive her. The invocation circle has been drawn on the ground, the candles rest waiting to be lit, the light aroma of incense in the air. The axolotl waits patiently in the shadows for them to finally call her. Let them invoke their being to that little hidden laboratory.

And she could easily appear in those moments, reveal her presence, but that would be suspicious. It could only mean that she was already seeing them, which would put the agency on alert and complicate their plans. No, she must proceed carefully. Even if that means having to wait until her summoning ritual is completed correctly.

And she hates waiting. But, the promise buzzes in her ear, the sparkle of the diamond on her finger makes her patient. She waits, even if she doesn't like it.


	7. Chapter 7

Hugo continues to leaf through the jornual on the way to the supermarket, ignoring his sister's humming and the other boy's annoying aura. That he looks like he's going to murder someone if they spend another minute in the same car. He doesn't care when his gazes meet and, despite his annoyance, his blue eyes are softer than all other occasions, with a strange glint of sadness before he looks away.

Something churns inside him.

Close the book. Even when it's more entertaining to read about Gnomes —he know, they're not real— and all that other weird stuff. Because the whole book in general is weird, a jornual dedicated to the oddities of little Gravity Falls. And that seems like a complete madness written by someone mysterious, because no matter how hard he try, he still can't find anything that reveals the author's name.

At least he will have something to entertain himself during him time in town, as he are not thrilled with the thought of having to spend a boring day shopping at the town supermarket. Even when Mabel promised to buy each of them ice cream. Does she see them as little children? How annoying. He has enough of having to deal with the strange boy they share a house with.

Or with the insistence of his sister to become his friends.

Which seems impossible because the boy doesn't seem to put up with them, or has the intention of being nice to them or at least trying not to be so rude. So Hugo is not excited about spending a morning with him, even less knowing that his sister is planning to insist —in which she is excellent— and insist on trying to be friends. Those things don't always go well.

"We arrived!", Mabel exclaims when she parks the car.

Varian wastes no time getting out. "Finally", and the boy rolls his eyes when they give him a shopping list. "What the hell?"

"No bad words", Mabel chides him. "Now, let's split up to get things done."

"I ask the boy!", Hugo is startled when Varian moves next to him, muttering: "It is less annoying than his sister"

Despite that, Hugo says nothing, silently weighing his options. On the one hand, he saves himself from having to endure the strange occurrences of Rapunzel, or of Mabel, who apparently shares similarities with the attitude of him sister; on the other hand, he can prevent Rapunzel from maddening the boy and receiving hurtful comments. So it's a win-win.

In a quick movement Rapunzel approaches them both, with a smile on her face that can't mean anything good, she laughs when she comes over to lean on her shoulder with a casual fake.

"Do you want to be alone of him?", She whispers he, Hugo nudges her feeling his face heat up at her insinuation.

Hugo pushed her gently. "Rapunzel"

She giggled, running to the brown woman's side to start walking away. Hugo turned his gaze to the shorter boy, sighing to follow him and look for the items on the list. Hopefully they wouldn't have a hard time.

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

Dylan sips his strawberry milkshake. Ignored the small pieces of the fruit. Walking with his f—Phill Cipher and Cassandra Prescott in the small town mall.

The two next to him keep quiet, saying nothing beyond a little exchange in the morning before Dylan drags them both to the mall. He is willing to try that both of them develop a friendly relationship, beyond work by having common desires. But he has failed in every attempt. Phill Cipher (his...) hasn't said anything, not even the reason why he's there in the first place.

He assumes, knowing the reasons behind his plan, that it is Varian. That she wants to see the boy, see how he is to calm his worries. He has no other reason to be there. Nothing but Varian, his nephew, his family.

"I failed", Cassandra mutters suddenly, and she gains the demon's attention. "I found the jornual and failed"

D— Phill stops. "Did you fail just because you couldn't get the journal, Miss Prescott?"

"I...I...Yes", Cassandra stammered with her head down.

"There is more than one jornual", Mr. Cipher responds calmly. "But, if it doesn't bother you, how did you fail?"

Cassandra raises her head. "Someone else took it!" She yells, frustrated. "A boy came out of nowhere and took it away!"

Mr. Cipher's expression remains blank, silently weighing his options meticulously, Cassandra's slight unease increasing at his lack of words. As if the girl already saw the end of her. She fiddles with the hem of her shorts, balancing nervously on her heels as the sweat trickles down her forehead in tiny beads. With hers nerves on her skin when she looks at him with a pitiful *help me* expression, and he sips the milkshake again with a grimace at the little pieces of strawberry.

_**Agh**_

"We could report it to the Axolotl", So D... Mr. Cipher gives him a strange look, one he can't quite make out when he adds: "She might find it."

What could she not do? Sure, she is the most powerful being in the universe but that does not imply that there is no list of things that she is incapable of doing. A short list, with few things that are described with specific situations. Which decreases the chances of something like this happening. Not impossible but unlikely.

Although of course, his m— _his mo_ — his master is absent; carrying out an important part of the plan and she cannot divert their attention from that or it could cost them a lot. All his efforts may have been in vain if things don't go the way they should. How they expect it to happen. Annoying the Axolotl could lead to more problems than solutions, putting their plans at risk and potentially being discovered. They can't take chances that way.

Phill Cipher puts a hand on his shoulder, the smooth look on his face. "Can you contact her?"

Dylan laughs nervously, tightening his grip on the glass he's holding at the gentlest reaction he's ever seen from the devil. "Technically we are connected"

"Good", he says quietly. "Miss Prescott a description would be perfect"

The tension in Cassandra's shoulders seems to relax as her chest deflates and she lets her hands fall to her sides. She moves closer to Dylan, ignoring how the older man's expression turns thoughtful as his gaze wanders without any exact point. He then takes his hand away from his shoulder and smiles at him, with a softness that makes his cheeks turn red as he tries to listen to Cassandra. But (Da—) Phill just looks at him gently as he plays with the ring on his finger.

A diamond.

A golden ring. Engagement ring.

Mo—The Axolotl has a similar one.

 _Does that mean, does it?_ , Dylan winces as he looks away, a lump in his throat at the thought. _Please make a good thing._

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

Varian groans under his breath as he watches the blond boy look at the cereal boxes. Still debating the not-at-all-large amount of cereal on the large counter. His gaze meets a particular box, a familiar box, a recognizable design among the sea of new products; he can remember the taste of chocolate flakes in his mouth, little marshmallows peeking listlessly out of the soft brown milk.

He mutters curses in languages unintelligible to humans, blinking away the burning tears that crystallize his eyes, takes a deep breath in an attempt to ignore the lump in his throat. He clenches his fists to resist the urge to burn the whole place.

As much as he want to leave those memories buried deep in your mind.

They always come back.

Hurts. _Please make it stop._

"Varian?"

His gaze shoots in the direction of the other boy, the cereal box in his hands, he nods as he clears his throat to avoid his shaking voice. "Let's go"

Then he turns around, ready to leave when he freezes in place. His gaze meets Dylan, half eating a pineapple-filled bar, the boy looks at him before his gaze is drawn to something else, panic flashing in his eyes. Varian doesn't have time to react when he sees exactly what he's looking at, or who he's looking at.

Cassandra, she approaches Dylan, as if they have known each other forever, but she doesn't matter in those moments. Varian looks at him, at the man behind her, at the red-haired man who stares back at he with recognition on his face.

He is the same man he saw the night before.

The man. Redhead, a crimson copy of his father.

The words escape in a breath.

"Dad?"

And a wince crosses the man's face, aching nostalgia, before he turns on his heel —taking the two teenagers to carry them along— ready to leave.

No, no, no, don't go.

_Don't leave me again._

"Stop. Now!"

The world turns colorless around him. Everything is drained of its colors. Gray oozes from the walls. Time stands still while everything pauses. Things become static in their places, the mindscape spreading in front of Varian with a wave that slowly pushes him. His energy barely enough to keep him stable. Pausing everything, or almost everything, is not so easy; the man continues as if nothing had happened, crimson contrasting with gray.

Varian asks. "Who are you?"

"Don't you know?", The man slowly turns around, red fire burning in his hand, Varian recoils, unable to fully process what is happening, and then the fire completely consumes the man. "Bill really left his family behind"

His heart clenches painfully in his chest. The man, the demon, in front of him, dressed in an elegant suit that changes the yellow palette of color's of his father to red. Red, burning, crimson rubies piercing his soul at the painful truth.

( _"I have two brothers",_ his father muttered, using his power to spin a book. _"Our names are so alike"_ ) 

"Uncle Phill?", He says softly, trying to guess which one it is.

The man, his uncle, his family, he seem genuinely surprised before shaking his head. Varian flinches as red flames spread through the mindscape, burning things as the gray rips open like antique wallpaper.

His uncle, _Phill_ , smiles painfully. "I'm sorry, really, I love you Varian"

...Everything turns...

...spins uncontrollably...

…He stops…

Open his eyes. His eyelids feel unusually heavy, his lungs burn, he blinks away the haze that dulls his gaze. He turns to see Hugo, the boy continues looking at the different cereals, then he looks back at the chocolate flake cereal.

He raises a shaking hand. Feeling something tug inside of him. It's strange. He takes the cereal box in his hands.

( _You've finished the cereal in a single day!_ , His mother would yell, his father's laugh echoing from the study and Varian, little Varian shrugged in his seat.)

He can feel Hugo's gaze on him. "My mother used to buy me this"

The words are bitter and painful. A sad memory that seeps into his muted tone and the nostalgia reflected in his eyes; emerald eyes soften with sorrow.

"I guess we found the right one"

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

The Axolotl opens its eyes. Euphoric laughter bursting from her chest in almost hysterical laughter. Magic swirls around him in a tornado of power that shakes the entire facility. The magic slowly fades, his hair fluttering behind her like a veil, a galactic shadow.

She grins with all his teeth, sharp fangs that flash just as much as the dangerous gleam in her eyes. And she looks at them, the investigators all huddled against a nearby wall, fearful, with guards ready to handle the situation if something goes wrong.

But it doesn't. Everything is almost perfect.

She hums. "The time agency", she says. "Long time no see!", Her voice rises with a fascination difficult to maintain. "May I know why it is?"

There is silence. Then an investigator approaches, shaking uncontrollably —ah, his puppet. "We have a request"

"Request?", She mutters, trying to sound surprised. "And what would that be?", She laughs, eliciting a startled exclamation from the men. "Let me guess"

The Axolotl finally stops levitating. He falls softly to his feet, the sound echoing through the silent room, frantic throbs of fear buzzing in his ears, he turns carefully, staring intently at the cryo capsule.

"Him?", She smiles knowing they can't see her, a weak affirmation behind her. "What do I get in return?"

The men look shocked when she turns. "No...We..." one stutters. "What could you want?"

"Oh easy", she scoffs. "Let me see Mason"

She can barely avoid a satisfied smile when the man nods weakly.

۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞↹۞

His lungs burn, his throat burns with stabs of pain that spread throughout his body, his entire being burns with a piercing scream of misery and guilt. Tears, salty, cold tears trickle down her face, his skin slowly turning red. The hiccups choke on his chest, unable to leave him.

He mourns silently.

His soul cries out in helplessness.

Pain squeezes his heart.

So close and yet so far. He could have taken his nephew and fled away from the insistent surveillance of the time agency. Take the three teenagers —three teenagers— and walk away from Gravity Fall, but he didn't. He was unable to leave the Axolotl in the hands of the time agency, the agency that destroyed his family and that has no limits when it comes to achieving something.

It was the boy or the Axolotl.

How he supposed to choose?

Phill coughs; the burning fire in her palm is extinguished when Miss Prescott drops Dylan's jacket on him.

He looks up to see them, Prescott looks terrified, the kind that has just been consumed by magical fire, and Dylan, the boy adopted a blank expression that seems to crack with something like annoying.

Then, Cassandra mutters: "It was him"


End file.
